The Kadjebi District in the Oti Region has recorded 66 new HIV/AIDS cases as of June 2021 compared with 51 cases recorded in the same period in 2020.
Out of 4,763 people tested for HIV, including 1,690 males and 3,173 females by June 2021, 66 people tested positive for HIV.
The number includes 46 females and 20 males.
During the same period in 2020, 4,907 were tested for HIV, including 1,734 males and 3,173 females with 51 positive cases.
Currently, 505 patients are on treatment.
District Public Health Nurse, Sophia Senam Zoryiku, the disclosed these to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the Kadjebi District Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) mid-year performance review meeting at Kadjebi.
Ms Zoryiku, who did a presentation on behalf of the Family Health Unit, described the situation as scary and urged partners to be faithful to each other or use condoms.
She called on the stakeholders to help curb maternal and child mobility by stopping home delivery and encouraging visits to health facilities for medical attention.
Ms Zoryiku said within the period under review, the district recorded 952 live births with 51 having less than 2.5kg weight as against 817 live births with 47 having weight less than 2.5kg in the mid-year of 2020.
District Disease Control Officer, Derick Atitsu, said the mandate was to investigate all suspected cases of public health, monitor priority diseases and other cases, investigate and report on suspected cases, collect and collate data on communicable diseases, among others.
Mr Atitsu said within the period under review, they recorded eight Buruli Ulcer cases and 19 Tuberculosis (TB) cases, involving 15 men and four women.
He mentioned resistance to some services, reduced patronage of services, dependence on commercial motorbike for outreach by some facilities, delayed release of supportive funds for staff, inaccurate reporting at some facilities, among others as challenges affecting the Disease Control and Surveillance Unit.
District Nutrition Officer, Fafali Doe, said they aimed to promptly detect all cases of malnutrition among children less than five years and appropriately manage them, to increase Vitamin A coverage from 51 per cent to at least 55 per cent by the end of June 2021 for children between 6-59 months.
Ms Doe advised lactating mothers to do six months of exclusive mandatory breastfeeding to help keep their babies healthy.
She said breast milk contained important antibodies that help fight off viruses and bacteria.